Gas-liquid separation apparatus

ABSTRACT

A gas-liquid separation apparatus includes a crust and a separating pipe located in the crust. The crust includes an annular wall and two lids covering two ends of the wall. The crust has a cavity surrounded by the wall and the two lids. An inlet extends through one lid and an outlet extends through the other lid. The separating pipe is disposed in the cavity of the crust and in communication with the inlet and the outlet of the crust. A plurality of apertures is defined in a body of the separating pipe and in communication with a space inside the separating pipe and the cavity of the crust. The liquid with gas dissolved therein enters into the separating pipe via the inlet of the crust. The liquid is degassed by the separating pipe. The de-gassed liquid exits the separating pipe via the outlet of the crust.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a gas-liquid separationapparatus, and more particularly to a gas-liquid separation apparatusfor separating gas from liquid in a transferring pipe or vessel.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Nowadays, many systems involve liquid transfer via pipes; for example,cooling liquid is transferred by pipes systems to cool heat generatingdevices. Generally, the liquid has some gas dissolved therein, which mayadversely impact normal work or transfer capacity of the pipe systems.

In order to ensure normal operation of a liquid pipe system, it isdesirable to separate the gas from the liquid. However, pipe systems areusually hermetically sealed, and the gas in the vessels cannot escapefrom the liquid. Therefore a gas-liquid separation apparatus may be usedto separate the gas from the liquid. A related gas-liquid separationapparatus generally comprises a large reservoir, a filtrating orrotating impeller located in the reservoir, and other members connectingwith the reservoir. However, the related gas-liquid separation apparatushas large bulk, large flowing resistance, complicated configuration andso on.

What is need, therefore, is a gas-liquid separation apparatus withsimple configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A gas-liquid separation apparatus in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention comprises a crust and a separatingpipe located in the crust. The crust comprises an annular wall and twolids covering two ends of the wall. The crust defines a roomco-operatively surrounded by the wall and the two lids. An inlet extendsthrough one lid and an outlet extends through the other lid. Theseparating pipe is disposed in the room of the crust and incommunication with the inlet and the outlet of the crust. A plurality ofapertures is defined in a body of the separating pipe and incommunication with a space inside the separating pipe and the room ofthe crust. The liquid with gas dissolved therein enters into theseparating pipe via the inlet of the crust. The de-gassed liquid exitsthe separating pipe via the outlet of the crust. A spiral-shaped guidingmember is fixed inside the separating pipe, by which when the liquidflows through the separating pipe, the gas is separated from the liquid.The separated gas flows via the apertures in the body of the separatingpipe into the room of the crust. Sizes of the apertures are graduallydecreased along a direction from the inlet to the outlet.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will becomemore apparent from the following detailed description of preferredembodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present device can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the present device. Moreover, inthe drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, partially cutaway view of a gas-liquidseparation apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a separating pipe of the gas-liquid separation apparatus ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an axially cutaway, plane view of the gas-liquid separationapparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a gas-liquid separation apparatus in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, which isintended to be incorporated in a pipe system (not shown) for separatinggas from liquid flowing in the pipe system. The gas-liquid separationapparatus comprises a crust 10 and a separating pipe 20 disposed in thecrust 10.

The crust 10 is substantially cylindrical, and comprises two symmetricalportion connected by a plurality of screws (not labeled). A gasket (notlabeled) is sandwiched between the two portions, thereby hermeticallysealing the two portions together. The crust 10 comprises a cylindricalwall 14, a first lid 15 and a second lid 16, each of which covers arespective one of two ends of the wall 14. A cavity 11 is defined in thecrust 10 by the wall 14, the first and second lids 15, 16. An inlet 12and an outlet 13 extend through and outwardly from central portions ofthe first and second lids 15, 16, respectively, for inputting the liquiddissolved with gas into the separating pipe 20 and outputting thedegassed liquid out of the separating pipe 20. First and secondpositioning sleeves 17, 18 integrally extend inwardly from the first andsecond lids 15, 16, respectively, for positioning the separating pipe 20in the crust 10. Diameter of the first, second positioning sleeves 17,18 is slightly larger than that of the inlet 12 and outlet 13. The inlet12 and outlet 13 are in communication with the corresponding first andsecond sleeve 17, 18. A drain tap 19 located aside the outlet 13 extendsoutwardly from the second lid 16 and is communication with the cavity11, for discharging the gas separated from the liquid when a pressure inthe crust 10 reaches a certain value.

The separating pipe 20 is a cylindrical pipe and is positioned coaxiallywithin the crust 10. The separating pipe 20 comprises a cylindrical mainbody 22 and first, second annular flanges 24, 25 expanding from two endsof the main body 22, respectively. A first port 21 and a second port 23are defined in each of the two ends of the main body 22. An innerdiameter of the main body 22 is smaller than that of the inlet 12 of thecrust 10. The first, second flanges 24, 25 are hermetically engaged withthe first, second sleeves 17, 18 respectively. Therefore, the first port21 confronts the inlet 12 of the crust 10; the second port 23 confrontsthe outlet 13 of the crust 10. The main body 22 defines a plurality ofgroups of through apertures 26 therein; therefore, a space inside theseparating pipe 20 is in communication with the cavity 11 of the crust10. The apertures 26 of a same group are uniform in size and are evenlyand circumferentially defined in the main body 22. The apertures 26 ofdifferent groups decrease gradually in size from the first port 21 tothe second port 23.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the separating pipe 20 has a spiral-shapedguiding member 30 disposed therein. In this case, the guiding member 30is made from a metal plate. The guiding member 30 is fixed to an innerwall of the main body 22 of the separating pipe 20 by welding or byinterferential means.

In use, the gas-liquid separation apparatus is oriented parallel with amain axis of the crust 10 in a horizontal direction, and the drain tap19 is at an upper location. The crust 10 contains a certain amount ofthe liquid therein, with the separating pipe 20 being submerged underthe liquid, but the drain tap 19 being located above the surface of theliquid. The liquid with gas dissolved therein coming from the pipesystem rushes into the separating pipe 20 via the inlet 12, and isaccelerated at the first port 21 of the separating pipe 20. Some of theliquid in the separating pipe 20 escapes into the cavity 11, because ahydraulic pressure in the separating pipe 20 is larger than that outsidethe separating pipe 20. A flow rate of the liquid falls; furthermore,the liquid makes centrifugal motion when the liquid encounters theguiding member 30; centrifugal force produced by the motion urges smallgas bubbles in the separating pipe 20 to gather into big bubbles withhigh pressure therein, and the big bubbles are discharged into an upperportion of the cavity 11. Therefore, the gas is separated out of theliquid. The degassed liquid enters into the pipe system (not shown) viathe outlet 13.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrativeonly, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape,size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention tothe full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms inwhich the appended claims are expressed.

1. A gas-liquid separation apparatus comprising: a crust defining acavity therein, the crust comprising an inlet for inputting liquid withgas dissolved therein and an outlet for outputting the liquid; and aseparating pipe disposed in the cavity of the crust and in communicationwith the inlet and the outlet of the crust, the separating pipecomprising a body defining a plurality of through apertures therein, thethrough apertures being in communication with a space inside theseparating pipe and the cavity of the crust, the liquid being degassedwhen flowing through the separating pipe from the inlet to the outlet.2. The gas-liquid separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein theseparating pipe has a guiding member disposed therein for impelling thegas to separate out of the liquid.
 3. The gas-liquid separationapparatus of claim 2, wherein the guiding member is spiral-shaped inprofile.
 4. The gas-liquid separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein theapertures of the separating pipe are defined into a plurality of groups,the apertures of a same group being uniform in size.
 5. The gas-liquidseparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apertures of the same groupare evenly and circumferentially defined in the body.
 6. The gas-liquidseparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apertures of differentgroups of the body of the separating pipe decrease in size from theinlet to the outlet of the crust.
 7. The gas-liquid separation apparatusof claim 1, wherein the crust comprises an annular wall and two lidscovering two ends of the wall, the inlet and the outlet extendingthrough the two lids, respectively.
 8. The gas-liquid separationapparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the two lids of the crust extendsa sleeve opposite to and in communication with a corresponding inlet oroutlet, the separating pipe having two ends thereof engaging withcorresponding sleeves of the crust.
 9. The gas-liquid separationapparatus of claim 8, wherein the separating pipe extends two flangesfrom corresponding ends of the body thereof, the two flanges engaging inthe corresponding sleeves of the crust.
 10. The gas-liquid separationapparatus of claim 7, wherein one of the lids of the crust extends adrain tap aside the outlet thereof and in communication with the cavityof the crust, for discharging the gas outside the crust.
 11. Thegas-liquid separation apparatus of claim 1, where a diameter of the bodyof the separating pipe is smaller than that of the cavity of the crust.12. A gas-liquid separation apparatus comprising: a crust comprising anannular wall and two lids covering two ends of the wall, a cavity beingsurrounded by the wall and the two lids, an inlet and an outletextending through the two lids respectively; and a separating pipedisposed in the cavity of the crust and in communication with the inletand the outlet of the crust, a plurality of apertures being defined inthe separating pipe and in communication with a space inside theseparating pipe and the cavity of the crust; wherein liquid with gasdissolved therein enters into the separating pipe via the inlet of thecrust, the liquid is degassed by the separating pipe and the de-gassedliquid exits the separating pipe via the outlet of the crust.
 13. Thegas-liquid separation apparatus of claim 12, wherein one of the two lidsof the crust extends a drain tap aside the outlet thereof, fordischarging gas separated from the liquid.
 14. The gas-liquid separationapparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the two lids extends a sleeveopposite to and in communication with corresponding inlet or outletthereof, the separating pipe having two ends thereof engaging with thetwo sleeves.
 15. The gas-liquid separation apparatus of claim 12,wherein the separating pipe has a guiding member located therein forproducing centrifugal motion to the liquid in the separating pipe. 16.The gas-liquid separation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the guidingmember is spiral-shaped.